SunVille
by Perpetual Concern
Summary: AU. Sir Crocodile offers people a safe haven: SunVille. His teachings state that everywhere else in the world is fraught with evil people. But a series of events has Nami questioning her beliefs, as the people around her begin to rebel...
1. Prologue

**It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this site, but I always wanted to rewrite this story. As it's been such a long time since I've posted anything for this fandom, there's a high chance that some characters will be out of character, and if that's the case, I apologise. **

**Also, this is only the prologue; that's why it's so short. I intend to make future chapters longer. **

**WARNING: Even though this is an AU, some things will be kept the same as they are in the series, so it is possible that you may come across some spoilers.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Prologue<strong>

She ran, clutching papers in her hands as loud footsteps sounded behind her. They knew better than to make an uproar; people would begin to question...

"Help!" she screamed as she made her way through the winding forest, although she knew it was to no avail. As she tried to evade the branches and vines, something snagged the hood of her jacket, and, momentarily stopped in her tracks, it was enough for one of them to catch up to her and grab her by the hair.

"Let go of me!"

If there had only been one of them, she would have stood a fighting chance and would have eagerly struck back at them. But she had to go back...she had to go back for her girls...

One of them hissed, "We stick to the plan."

She wouldn't, _couldn't_, go down without fighting back. Twisting her body, she launched her fist into somebody's face, and felt satisfaction seep through her as she heard a sickening crack and a shriek of pain, followed by a string of obscenities.

"Grab her! A broken nose won't save you from his wrath if she gets away!" a sharp female voice snapped.

She was pushed violently to the ground, and flipped onto her stomach. Her legs kicked viciously but she felt no contact with flesh. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as she realised that her precious papers were scattered around her and she was even more outnumbered than she had realised when she managed to flip herself onto her back and gaze at the people surrounding her.

A broad-shouldered man dodged her flailing limbs before yanking her to her feet and directing a well-aimed punch straight into her stomach. She gasped for air and staggered backward, his arms preventing her from collapsing to the ground. This couldn't happen. She had to protect not only her girls, but the people around her from these monsters.

But she was outnumbered, and wounded. Her heart sank as reality began to sink in, but she made one final attempt at securing her freedom as she struck his jaw. He flinched, but didn't release her, and instead aimed a punch at her head.

She began to sway from the dizziness, and tried to keep from throwing up, as he hoisted her over his shoulder ungracefully. Her vision began to blur but a clear picture appeared in her mind's eye, of two smiling children.

"Don't touch them," she whispered, a blinding headache causing her to wince. "Don't you dare touch them..."

She had failed. She was not afraid of death, but she was afraid for her girls. They would be orphaned. A hazy memory came to mind of a sobbing widow, distraught by the news of her husband's death...an accident they claimed, a tragic accident that served as a reminder to obey the rules and not go walking at night, particularly in the forest which was filled with dangers, like cliffs...

_That's it! He must have figured it out. That's how they deal with rebels...They throw them off a cliff._

These were the elites, and there were many of them. She had no weapons, and was badly injured. Cold logic was like a splash of cold water in her face.

Still, she continued to struggle. She would never make it easy for them. Her head pounded and her throat was dry, but she lashed out, in vain, but for her own satisfaction.

A flimsy wooden fence was all that stood between them, and the wide gap that led to what would almost certainly be instant death.

They were at the cliff, and this was it...

In one final attempt, one final act of rebellion, she tried to yank him towards her as she was thrown from his grasp. Her scream sliced through the dark forest as she hurtled down towards the abyss.

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><p>A sharp rapping on the door awoke two young girls, who rubbed their eyes sleepily and peeked at the two women outside of their small house. One of them looked familiar, a stern supervisor, and they let both women inside with a hoarse sounding greeting.<p>

"I'm sorry to have to inform both of you like this, at this time, but your mother has been in a terrible accident..."


	2. Chapter 1

**It has just occurrred to me that as this is an Alternate Universe, the characters will be even more likely to be OOC than usual. Still, I'm going to try my hardest to make them as in character as I can, although it would be great if you could give me some constructive criticism. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**Chapter 1:  
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Nami knelt at Bellmere's grave, her head bowed as she gently placed a small bouquet of flowers down. The cemetery was silent, save for the rustling of the trees and the young woman closed her eyes as she whispered, "Hey, Bellmere. It's been awhile and I'm sorry; Nojiko would be here only she has to pack up the store for the night. I'm sure that she'll be along soon."

She crept a little closer to the headstone and lightly traced the letters of it with her index finger. "We've been taking good care of your tangerine fields. We learnt from the best, after all... I miss you; we both miss you..." At that moment, heavy footsteps sounded, and Nami craned her head to the left and watched as Portgas D Ace made his way to a grave a few metres away.

He removed his orange hat and placed it beside him as he said quietly, "Please don't let me disturb you." The young man lay a single flower on the grave and closed his eyes as he shifted into a kneeling position before his own mother's grave.

"It's okay. I was just about to leave." With that, Nami stood and allowed her fingers to ghost along the headstone one more time before bowing to Ace and quietly exiting the cemetery. Ace's soft voice carried over to the gate and Nami hurried away.

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><p>Nojiko collapsed into a chair on the porch of her home and felt her eyelids beginning to droop. Her sister called out a greeting as she flew past her and scurried around the back. They made a good pair; both were extraordinarily careful when caring for the tangerine fields, partly as a tribute to their mother.<p>

As Nami hooked the green plastic hose into the faucet, she called out loudly, "I visited Bellmere just then; that's why I was later today."

Nojiko stood up reluctantly and made her way around the back. Nami glanced at her, shook her head and smirked, as she pointed towards the house. "To bed with you. You look exhausted."

"I guess I am. It must be this excessive heat; it was ridiculously difficult to stand for what doesn't normally feel like such a prolonged period of time," Nojiko admitted. "Did you get everything done?"

Her sister scoffed; as if Nami would leave without completing her daily chores. Nojiko smiled, took the hint and disappeared through the back door.

The sun beat down harshly on Nami as she made her way sluggishly up and down the fields, spraying them with expert care, as she had always done, ever since she was seven years old. Even the wide-rimmed hat on her head felt as if it wasn't helping as much as it usually did. _This heat wave is awful._ For a moment, she considered turning the hose on herself, but she instantly dismissed the thought.

"Can't waste water," she muttered.

"Talking to yourself? Must be the heat."

She glanced up and rolled her eyes as she watched Ace climb over the small fence, his brother close behind him. The older D brother smirked at her before tipping his hat and asking if she needed any assistance on a day such as this.

Nami straightened up and said dismissively, "No thanks." Her sharp eyes were locked on Luffy as she warned both brothers that if either of them stole a single piece of fruit, the supervisor's would be the least of their worries because she would personally throttle them. They put on a look of indignant innocence and raise their arms. Would they do a thing like that? Nami smirked at them and arched an eyebrow before continuing her task.

The lengthy hose seemed to wilt as Nami completed her rounds, before finally dashing to the tap to cease the flow of precious water. "Did either of you need something? And for the record, neither myself nor Nojiko are going to feed you." It had been a terrifying experience, and she had learnt her lesson; never again would she attempt to sate the brothers' appetites.

Luffy pouted, but Ace just chuckled lightly. Something about this exchange felt different, however, and as Nami gestured towards the seats on the back porch, she looked intensely at Ace's face. It was something about his eyes, she decided. Ace had always been the one out of the two brothers to concern himself, if there was anything worth worrying about.

Nami leant forward as she asked quietly, "Is everything okay?"

Ace looked hesitant, but finally admitted, "I've been...thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself," Nami quipped.

"Ha ha." He nudged her in the side before suggesting that Luffy go home. The smaller boy looked at his brother suspiciously.

"Why?"

"There's...meat there."

Luffy shot off as Ace called out, "Hey! You better leave me some!"

Ace intertwined his fingers and leant back in his chair, looking thoughtful. He cleared his throat and exhaled heavily before averting his eyes to the wooden floor. "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this..."

"Well, you can't stop there!" Nami shuffled her chair closer to Ace and ran a hand through her hair, pushing a few loose strands behind her ears. In the shade of the porch, the heat was somewhat more bearable, but she cringed at the feeling of dampness across the top of her forehead.

Ace untangled his fingers and allowed his arms to drop, resting them on the arms of his chair. "...Did you hear about the graffiti?"

Graffiti? No one would dare to vandalise SunVille; it was a sign of rebellion that would have them kicked out of the gates with no questions asked. Nami's eyes widened as Ace reluctantly relayed the story, but to her ears, it sounded wrong. Who would dare risk being cast out of SunVille? It was dangerous outside; everybody knew that, everybody was told that practically from birth.

"They wrote in large red letters 'Don't believe the lies that SunVille feeds you!'." Ace looked uncomfortable, but Nami was livid.

Her mouth dropped open as she stammered with fury, "T-They...they have absolutely no right to...to..." She was barely able to form a coherent sentence.

"I think that I know who it was," Ace interrupted, his usually mischievous eyes downcast and concerned.

"Who?" Nami shrieked. Ace looked unwilling to disclose the information, but finally sighed before speaking slowly and carefully, his eyes trained on Nami to watch her reaction closely.

"They were taken...unwillingly, I might add...to the Sermon House, late last night. I was sitting on the front porch outside my house because I couldn't sleep." He smiled weakly. "Narcolepsy strikes again."

"Who was it?"

"I...I'm not going to tell you that, Nami. But don't you agree that something strange is going on?"

What did he mean? Nami racked her brains for a moment...

Now that she thought about it, no matter who it was, such a crime would never be forgiven; the Sermon House was used only to indoctrinate a person who was suspected to have doubts, or have thoughts of rebellion on their mind. Most people didn't have to be forcibly removed and placed there. Yet the supervisor's seemed to believe that this person could still be saved, and not have to be thrown out of SunVille like they deserved. A quick question to Ace revealed that this was what he too had noticed.

'Strange, indeed...' As much as she desired to know the name of the culprit, Nami knew that she would never get anything out of Ace. Perhaps he knew them personally?

Wait... "Hold on, Ace, how do you know that whoever this was is responsible for the vandalism?" Nami demanded.

Not skipping a beat, Ace replied, "They were shouting about speaking the truth on the wall, that they had proof. I just don't understand why they wouldn't immediately throw him out like he..." His voice trailed off.

"Deserved?" Nami supplied.

Ace didn't say anything. Nami narrowed her eyes suspiciously; he agreed with her, didn't he? Any thoughts to the contrary would be blasphemous. Then she jolted.

"Aha! You said 'him' and 'he'!" Nami crowed triumphantly. She was one step closer to figuring out the perpetrator. Perhaps Ace would spill it unwillingly...

But Ace smirked and just told her that he always intended to give her that information, but nothing more. Then he rose from his seat, bowed politely, and with a wave as he jumped over the fence disappeared from her sight, leaving her with numerous unanswered questions in her head.

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><p>Nami tossed and turned in her bed, finally kicking off the sheet violently. Even the open window did nothing to cool the humid, stuffy room in this heatwave. Ace's behaviour had been strange to say the least. They certainly weren't the best of friends; why would he talk to her about such a thing? Perhaps he just valued her opinion more. She had always considered herself intelligent, and certainly he could never talk to his brother about it. But Ace wasn't without friends who weren't, at least, semi-intelligent. A few names sprang to mind, as did the busy schedule of some of them.<p>

'I must have been a last resort,' she thought, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Nami continued to fidget, flipping first onto her back, then onto her stomach, and finally on her side. Nothing brought any relief. The lack of rain was beginning to make her feel as if she were living in a desert. Perhaps she ought to do a rain dance.

She scoffed at the idea, but could immediately picture Luffy doing such a thing. His seemingly childlike innocence was enviable at times.

Nami closed her eyes and felt herself drifting into sleep until a loud voice startled her, causing her to bolt upright in her bed.

"Quit it!" a voice outside bellowed. "This is for your own good!"

Now thoroughly awake again, and curious, Nami rose from her bed and crept to the window. It was dark outside, but she could make out a few figures. The one struggling looked vaguely familiar as he fought viciously against them, but without his voice or a closer look, Nami was unable to tell for sure. 'Another one? Is everybody going crazy from this insane heat?' Then again, the supervisor's were acting oddly as well; why were they bringing whoever these people were to the Sermon House? It was too...lenient.

Whoever it was stood no chance, and Nami found herself shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the sheer ludicrousness of the situation. Then again, if they were dense enough to rebel in the first place, she supposed that it was entirely possible that they were delusional enough to believe that they stood a fighting chance against a number of supervisors.

A troubling thought nagged at Nami's mind, but she shook her head and returned back to bed, resuming tossing and turning until she eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

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><p>As Nami helped her sister to unload the cart of tangerines the next day, she kept an eager eye out for Ace, who would usually be hanging around the market, willing to lend a hand to any of the shopkeepers as he completed his own assigned daily errands. Perhaps he too had witnessed the scene last night. But he was nowhere to be seen, and neither was his hyperactive younger brother.<p>

The people around the market moved sluggishly, and looked almost like wilted flowers, the bright colours of their clothing contrasting sharply with the exhausted pallor of their faces. It was a difficult time for each of the citizens, and Nami suspected that once they had free time it would be spent either resting at home, or at the pools. Just as Nami began to fantasise about sinking into cold water, a bright red flash of movement caught her eye and Luffy bounded up to her, his eyes wide with terror.

He looked out of breath as he choked out, "I have to talk to you!"

Startled, Nami glanced over at Nojiko who waved her away. Luffy eagerly dragged her from the stall to a quiet corner of the market. The two sat down under the shade of a tree and Luffy leant towards her before exclaiming, "They took Ace to the Sermon House! And they won't tell me why!"

"What?" Nami breathed, and was rendered speechless. Ace, the cautious one who took great care of his younger brother and was a stickler for the rules so as not to get either D brother thrown out of SunVille, had been taken to the _Sermon House_? She looked around her, and, spotting no supervisor's, whispered, "Tell me everything."


	3. Chapter 2

******I thought about making this longer, then I decided to save it for the next chapter. I'm hoping that I'll be able to make chapters just longer generally though, because this doesn't seem long enough to me. Then again, I'd be interested to know if people prefer shorter chapters but more chapters, as opposed to longer chapters but fewer chapters.  
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**Disclaimer:** **I do not own One Piece.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

"He-"

Luffy was cut off by a harsh voice. "Don't you two have work to do?"

Nami looked up into the face of Miss. Valentine. How had the supervisor sneaked up on them like that? The woman's intense eyes were locked onto both Nami and Luffy as she twirled her parasol. A high pitched giggle erupted from the supervisor before she narrowed her eyes and pointed at them with her umbrella.

"You both look as if you've seen a ghost," she cackled, as she twirled her parasol once again.

Luffy tensed and clenched his fists before saying hotly, "I want to know what you've done with my brother."

Miss. Valentine giggled. "That is of no concern to you. If you want to know so badly, perhaps you ought to visit the Sermon House yourself. After all, you should not either doubt or question supervisor's. Now get back to work!" With that, she ambled away, focusing her attention upon other citizens.

"What's going on?" Nami hissed, beginning to panic.

Luffy shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know! I was woken up when they came to take Ace away; they didn't say anything. They needed lots of people to restrain him though."

Nami's mouth dropped open as she recalled the incident from last night. Although it was relatively hazy in her mind, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. No wonder she had thought that whoever it was had looked so familiar. Luffy's facial expression was thunderous as he breathed loudly through his nose, clearly finding it difficult to reign in his ever mounting fury.

"I wanted to tell you...Anyway, I'm going...to the Sermon House myself. I have to talk to Ace," he said firmly.

Nami reached for his arm and whispered loudly, "Are you crazy? You don't want to be labelled as a doubter, or worse, a rebel-"

She was cut off by Luffy who balled his hands into fists. "It doesn't matter! I have to know what's going on; Ace is a good person, I know that they've made a mistake."

Her mouth dropped open as Nami exclaimed, "Luffy! Don't say that!" Hoping that nobody had overheard such a blasphemous comment, she looked pleadingly at Luffy. But he shook his head obstinately, and shrugged her grip off his arm before running off, using one hand to hold the straw hat to his head. Nami felt her heart sink.

What was going on?

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><p>Nojiko poured hot water into Nami's cup, and began to stir it with a metal spoon. The younger tangerine tender was sitting at the dining table with her head in her arms. When Nojiko had finally coaxed the story about Ace out of her sister, she had persistently tried to convince Nami that everything was going to be okay. But nothing that she said consoled the younger girl, who looked almost fragile as she sniffed. Concerned, Nojiko placed the cup of tea in front of Nami and sat down herself.<p>

"There must be a logical explanation for this," Nami muttered. "Ace and I were just talking about rebellion yesterday; he told me about some graffiti."

Nojiko's head snapped up. "Did he-"

"No!" Nami shook her head fervently. "Ace would never...well...it wasn't him, although he did know who it was..."

"Who?"

"He didn't tell me. But what if Ace was somehow led astray by...by some _rebel_?" The word was spoken like it was a fatal toxin.

There was silence in the small kitchen for a few minutes. What could you say to that? The idea was plausible, but highly improbable, and it looked as if Luffy was going to get himself willingly dragged even deeper into the mess. That was most likely why Nami decided to bombard Nojiko with questions about the Sermon House. Both had been inside only once; Nojiko could remember it a little clearer as she had been a little older, but to Nami, the memory was nothing more than a blur, with occasional spots of clearer recollection, almost as if she had focused her attention more clearly at some times than at others.

She could recall an enormous building, although she had been a small child, so perhaps her recollection of it was slightly skewed as a result. It was a beautiful building, but had felt cold. Nami couldn't remember if it was the temperature, or merely the atmosphere, but she had clung to Bellmere when they were in there and had been happy to leave it behind for a small, warm house with tangerine fields in the back.

"They could both get themselves thrown out of SunVille. It could already be too late for Ace...He better smarten up and listen well enough to them to get back into the supervisor's good graces." A dark cloud seemed to hang over the residential community, and Nami leant on one arm, propped up on the table as she drummed on it with her free hand.

Nojiko exhaled slowly, the expression in her eyes turning wistful. "I wonder...what Bellmere would think." She drew her sister into an embrace before saying quietly, "I'm going to visit the cemetery."

Her sister rose anxiously, reminding her that night would fall relatively soon. Nojiko had to be back before then.

"Don't worry about me; I'll be back soon." Nojiko smiled, and slipped out of the kitchen. The closing front door sounded seconds later.

Nami looked around the empty room, feeling restless as she paced to and fro. Her sister would not make such a terrible mistake; of course she would keep her promise, and be back before too long.

Dashing up to her bedroom to slip into a blouse made of thin cotton material and a skirt, Nami began to think about the situation logically. The supervisor's would never make a mistake, let alone such a grave one; ergo, Ace was guilty of something and they had been merciful enough to take him to the Sermon House in an attempt to save him. Like a hospital, they would treat him. Luffy thought too highly of his brother; it would be a shame if he were led into rebellion.

But...although this must have been the case, Nami felt something nagging at her, screaming that something was very wrong.

She mentally shook herself out of it; it would do no good to dwell on such thoughts. Nojiko would be back soon. In the meantime, what could she do?

Nami made her way aimlessly through the small house, glancing into the living room, the kitchen, and the other bedroom. Hovering in the doorway of her late mother's room, she could almost sense a presence here, one that had not been here since she had last entered this small space. Curiosity stirring within her, Nami stepped slowly into the room, wondering why it felt different. It seemed wrong to tamper with the order of the room. This was the way that Bellmere had left it...

But why was that? Nami lightly touched her lips with her index finger thoughtfully as she mulled over the decision. Certainly Bellmere would not mind; it had just been too painful before for either daughter to sort through the belongings. What if there was something in here that opened up an opportunity to understand their late mother better? Both Nami and Nojiko had been robbed of a relationship, and, ultimately, robbed of the chance to find out what Bellmere had been truly like. Questions that were burning to be answered swam around in Nami's head, and her mind made up, she made her way to the centre of the room and silently surveyed the area.

The bed had been stripped of all covers. All that remained was the frame and the headboard, like a skeleton of what used to be. Crammed into a corner was a wooden chest of drawers that contained her clothes. There weren't many, but the few inside were neatly folded, albeit dusty. In another corner were boxes, ones which held a wide array of Bellmere's belongings.

Nami knelt before them and lightly trailed her hand over the rim. She cringed at the feeling and the sight of dust on her fingers and immediately made her way to the bathroom where she scrubbed at her hands with soap and rinsed them with warm water. Grabbing a damp cloth, she made her way back to the room and dusted the tops of the boxes carefully, before reaching in eagerly.

"Nami?"

Nojiko was hovering in the doorway, her expression carefully controlled although Nami knew that she must be wondering what had convinced her sister to enter Bellmere's room at this particular time.

"We've never really been in here, have we?" Nami shifted uncomfortably, finally deciding on sitting in a cross-legged position, as opposed to kneeling on the wooden floor. Nojiko looked hesitant, but after a brief moment of silent contemplation, she joined her sister. Quietly, they each reached for a box. With a glint in her eyes, Nami removed each of the objects in her box, most of them paperback books, with the odd piece of stationary every now and again.

Nojiko rummaged around in a trunk as she murmured, "This feels like a rainy day sort of activity."

Groaning, Nami muttered, "What I wouldn't give for rain..."

Still searching, Nojiko continued. "I was at Shakky's Bar earlier this week; did you know that she was one of the first people that Bellmere befriended when she first arrived in SunVille?"

Straightening up, Nami was about to comment on her ignorance regarding this new piece of information when there was a sharp knock on the front door. Both sisters rose and quickly made their way to the front foyer. When Nojiko opened the door, two smiling supervisors' greeted them with a hello and a piece of paper that was thrust into their hands.

"Sir Crocodile will be addressing the entire community tomorrow, and after that, it will be a free day," they cooed. "Please be prompt and at the square by nine o'clock." With a final smile, they turned and left. Their energy seemed to betray the scorching temperature and agonising humidity.

Looking at the flyer, Nami smiled. "This is great! We should see if we can find Shakky tomorrow; I'd bet she could tell us things about Bellmere that we would never find out otherwise."

"Maybe we should treat ourselves to a day of researching tomorrow then." Nojiko yawned. "Actually, I'm pretty tired, Nami; I think I'll have an early night."

Nami didn't fancy another night of tossing and turning, but she agreed that it would be better to wait until tomorrow to search through the boxes. Perhaps Shakky could point them in other directions; after all, neither Nojiko nor Nami had much idea about what Bellmere had been like, short of inside the home, and even that had been a brief period.

"Goodnight, Nojiko."

Both retreated to their rooms but Nami undressed and changed, knowing that there would be little point in trying to sleep this early. She made her way to the window and gazed outside. Night was beginning to fall, and the streets looked devoid of all life. Worry began to plague her again. _Ace, what have you done?_ How could he have done whatever it was that he had done? Surely he had known what the ramifications would be. Clearly it wouldn't have been a slight error in judgement; Nami didn't need to know the details to know that Ace had done something terrible, and was paying for his crime dearly.

She tried to shake away from the thoughts and immediately brightened when she thought about seeing Sir Crocodile in person. It would be a rare treat, and perhaps he could shed some light on the strange happenings that had began as of late. Planning the day out in her head, Nami felt a smile stretch across her lips: Their leader's speech would likely take a short period of time as he was bound to be a busy man; she and Nojiko would then locate Shakky, who would likely be at the bar, although she suspected that the small place would be closed. Still, surely the woman wouldn't say no to guests.

Should they haul the boxes to the bar? Who knew what they would find in them? Perhaps they would have unanswered questions that Shakky could assist with.

Nami continued to stare out of the window; the scenery hadn't changed much, aside from the darkness that had quickly began to descend. Her lips twitched and she rolled her eyes at the prospect of being woken by another racket outside. It wouldn't happen. More than two freak occurrences would be pushing the boundaries of natural statistics, surely. She closed the curtains and flopped onto her bed, not bothering to even make her way under the thin sheet. She looked forward to the end of this heat wave, as she was sure everybody else did.

Beginning what had become her nightly ritual of tossing and turning until she finally fell into a fitful sleep, Nami attempted to force herself to put Ace's situation out of her head, but her final thoughts were of a large building and Luffy's angry shouting.


	4. Chapter 3

******I think this chapter is a little longer; I'm quite curious as to what readers like the average length of a chapter to be. Feel free to tell me in a review, or there's a very general poll up on my profile, which I might make more specific in terms of word amount in a chapter.  
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**Disclaimer:** **I do not own One Piece.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong>

Nami was roused from her slumber by her sister who gently shook her awake.

"Nami...Nami...it's time to get up. We can't be late today, remember Sir Crocodile is speaking publicly." Nojiko was already dressed, and Nami shot out of her bed in a panic. Then her eyes travelled to the clock on the wall, which read eight o'clock; she would have enough time if she didn't dawdle. Now more relaxed, she made her way to her closet.

Her sister called over her shoulder as she left the room, "Breakfast is on the table."

Nami was quick as she slipped out of her nightwear and into a skirt and a blouse. As she made her way to the kitchen, she recalled her peaceful night; when she had eventually fallen asleep, nothing, not even the heat wave, had woken her. It was a good sign; nobody around her had rebelled. Things were likely back to normal...

She decided that she didn't have the luxury of enjoying breakfast today, so she scarfed it down and hunted for her shoes, which were surprisingly in the bathroom. Taking no time to question this, however, Nami dashed out of the door with her sister not far behind her. She may not have been running late, but she wanted to have a good view of Sir Crocodile. Breaking out into a run, Nami made it to the square with plenty of time to spare, but to her immense disappointment, people were already crowding around. Only the supervisors' deliberately lurked further away, and they stood stock still, like soldiers, ready to curb any disturbances, not that anybody would dare to on a day such as this.

Most of the people she knew were already here, although to her distress, Luffy was nowhere to be seen. When she questioned Zoro, who stood nearby, he shrugged and sounded concerned as he admitted that he hadn't seen the hyperactive D brother for a few days. Nojiko shook her head sadly, and Nami felt her heart sink. Not even the prospect of seeing Sir Crocodile in person, or having an unexpected day off could quell the the gloom washing over her.

Then her heart skipped a beat as she watched Sir Crocodile stand at the podium. His powerful voice filled the square and people fell silent instantly.

"Citizens of SunVille, I speak to you today about a matter most grave, but first and foremost, let me assure you that I, and the supervisors' that you can see around you, are on the case." His eyes roamed around as he continued, "Some of you may be concerned, with good reason, about the events that have gone on recently. You may be aware of the slanderous graffiti which degraded the Sermon House."

Barely able to contain her shock, Nami kept her eyes locked on Sir Crocodile. Ace had never told her that it had been on the _Sermon House_!

"You may be aware of the fights that have broken out over rebellious actions, and thoughts."

Violence too? It would never be tolerated!

"Some of you may have heard the rumours that people tried to leave SunVille. While, of course, you are free to leave, why would you want to? Please let me allay your fears; all of this is being dealt with. Nobody wanted to leave, however, and this is far more troubling, people have sullied the walls of the Sermon House, and people have become aggressive."

Nami glanced over at Nojiko, whose expression was unreadable.

Their leader smiled, and held his hand up to silence the low murmur which began to spread through the crowd. "We have reason to believe that some of you may even consider us as being too lenient with these criminals. They do, of course, deserve to be cast out of SunVille, forever."

Yes, yes, that question had been burning inside of Nami ever since Ace had informed her of the graffiti artist's arrest.

"But we consider it our duty to understand the cause behind this sudden rash of upheaval. This is why they have been taken to the Sermon House to be interrogated. If they were merely led astray and repent, we will of course welcome them back with open arms." Sir Crocodile smiled benevolently. "Mercy is important in society. But..." His expression hardened. "If they are truly evil to the core, they will be dealt with..._appropriately_."

By this, he surely meant that they would be cast out.

"We cannot have them poison our society. But do not fear, you are still safe in SunVille; please give your supervisors' a round of applause for their tireless efforts to weed out the rebels." He continued to smile as the crowd clapped loudly, before raising his hand to silence them again. "And now, my dear citizens, I feel I must inform you about some changes that will have to be implemented. And I feel compelled to add that it is nothing to do with what I have just informed you about. No, I am afraid that we are up against a force more powerful than mere people. I am of course, speaking about, mother nature, who has blessed us at times, but now seems to have turned against us."

His eyes scanned the people who stared at him tiredly. "This heat wave is becoming unbearable, and we have not been provided with rain for quite some time. Everybody must sacrifice whenever there is a drought, and SunVille is no different. Unfortunately, I have not the time to notify you of each individual change, but please wait here until a supervisor has provided you with a booklet that details the changes. Now, may I just leave you on a more positive note; it brings me great joy to see such a wonderful community, and I am sure that each of you feel the same. During these hard times, I know that each of you will be helpful and band together, like you have always done. Thank you for your time. Please enjoy your free day."

As Sir Crocodile and a few supervisors' left, the crowd began to cheer, some even whistling, the clamour dying down only when he was no longer in view. Booklets were handed around but Nami didn't look at hers, and instead reached for her sister as she suggested finding Shakky. The tall, older woman was nowhere to be seen, so Nami and her sister slipped away from the swarm of people to make their way to Shakky's Bar. The outside area was devoid of people, and Nojiko knocked hesitantly on the front door. Shakky poked her head outside.

"Bar's closed, girls."

"Wait! We're not customers. We wanted to talk to you about Bellmere." Nami put on her most charming expression as she looked pleadingly up at the woman, who silently opened the door wider, allowing both sisters' to step inside.

"So, what's this all about?" Shakky asked.

Nami leaned forward in her seat as she said eagerly, "Nojiko said that you were a friend of Bellmere's."

"That's right. What of it?"

"We'd like to find out more about our mother, that's all. We started searching through her belongings last night."

"Shouldn't you have done that before? It's been many years." Shakky leant back against the wall. It was a reasonable question to which neither sister had a real answer for.

Nojiko leant on one hand as she thought out loud. "I suppose it was rather...random. But anyway, I did always wonder why Bellmere came here, as in, how she knew about this place?"

The bar owner pulled up a chair and paused thoughtfully. "That's a good question. To be honest, I don't know how she found out about it. How isn't so important as why though. She was on the run."

This was news to Nami and Nojiko who looked surprised as they both exclaimed in unison, "What?"

"Debt, it was, a large sum that she couldn't repay. She didn't give me details, but she told me that he was a very unfair man, and cruel too."

"Who was he?" Nami asked quietly.

"Hmm, the name escapes me...Arr? Arla?" Shakky snapped her fingers. "Arlong, it was." She nodded as she added, "He was vicious, she said. She was afraid that he would go after you girls, and she sold the house and most of her belongings to secure a place in SunVille. That is of course, the story of a fair few people; trouble and the finding of salvation here. Drinks, either of you? I won't even charge you because I liked Bellmere."

"Tangerine juice?" Nami suggested, and Nojiko nodded her consent.

"You got it." As Shakky poured the drinks into two tall glasses, she commented, "It was a real shame that accident. I was very sorry to hear of it. Tragic, really, when people come here for safety and are just taken like that. Doesn't seem fair, or right, really..."

Nojiko furrowed her brow. "You mean, that's happened to others?"

"Oh, more than you'd like to think. You girls know what happened to...what was that kid's name...he was taken to the Sermon House..."

Nami snapped to attention. "Ace? Portgas D Ace?"

"Yes, that was it. His mother was Portgas D Rouge; I heard that he visited her regularly in the cemetery. She came here because of his father." Shakky took in another drag of her cigarette.

"Was he abusive?"

"No. He wasn't there, died while she was still pregnant, but people feared him, and they feared his soon to be offspring, so she came here to save Ace, who would have likely been persecuted just because of his heritage. Said that if she had to, she would have kept Ace in her womb for an extended period of time just to fool people when she moved on to a new place."

"That's impossible," Nami said flatly before sipping her juice again.

"Maybe, maybe not. Rouge was a tough lady, sweet, but very protective. I believe that if it just required strong will, she could have done it. As it was, she didn't even have to try. Then one day she was found dead at the bottom of a cliff."

"What?" Nami gasped. Nojiko looked stunned and nearly dropped her glass.

"...These accidents...tragic." Shakky shook her head and placed her cigarette to her lips again. "I didn't intend to bring you down like that; maybe I shouldn't have even told you that. Anyhow...was there anything else that you'd like to know about Bellmere? I didn't know her for as long as I'd have liked, but I'm sure that I can provide you with some information."

"Actually, Nami and I were about to go through her belongings. Maybe we'll have some questions for you soon. Can we come by again?" Nojiko asked, and drained the last of the contents in her glass. Her sister did the same.

Shakky nodded. "Sure thing."

"Bye!" Nami and Nojiko quietly left the bar and turned to one another outside. The sun beat down relentless upon them, and they were happy to head straight for home.

Few people were outside, but the open windows of houses revealed that most citizens had taken refuge in their homes. The heat was searing and the air was sticky with humidity, but at least inside the sun couldn't get to anyone. Nami and Nojiko trudged inside and immediately made their way to the kitchen. As Nami opened a cabinet to retrieve two glasses, her sister reached for the faucet. With one glass in her hand, the older of the two turned the tap.

Nothing happened.

She tried again. Not a single drop of water; the two girls looked at each other in surprise. "There must be something wrong with the plumbing," Nami deduced. "Surely others will notice it as well; somebody is sure to report it."

"Just as long as we don't have a bystander effect happening," Nojiko murmured. "Unless...I hope it's not just us. Do you want to slip next door and ask if anyone has no water?"

Nodding, Nami dashed outside the kitchen and made her way out of the front door. Doing her best to ignore the blazing sun that scorched her shoulders, she walked briskly to the house that was to the right of hers, and ascended the steps quickly before rapping on their front door. The door was opened shortly by a tired-looking Zoro who barked out, "What?"

"What, did I wake you from a nap?" Running a hand through her hair, Nami asked, "Do you have water? Nojiko and I want to know if there's something wrong with our system, or if others are having problems."

"Nobody has water right now." Zoro looked at her strangely. "Everybody has to get their daily ration; didn't you read the new drought rules?"

"...Not yet; we were going to," Nami muttered, but her eyes were wide. Clearly the drought was worse than she had originally realised. "See you later." She descended the stairs of his porch and made her way quickly into her own house. When she reached the kitchen, she saw that Nojiko had put the glasses away and was sitting quietly at the table.

Now almost alarmed, Nami reported, "It's not just us. Nobody has water right now. We'll be given a daily ration; it's in the booklet along with the other drought regulations."

Furrowing her brow, Nojiko took out her own copy of the booklet and flipped it open to the first page. "Nami, I think that we'd better leave Bellmere's room for a later date."

Disappointed, Nami sighed heavily but she knew that her sister was right. She retrieved her own copy and sat down on one of the wooden dining chairs. Her sharp eyes scanned the first page, which contained a table of contents. Deciding that the general rules needed to be read first, she flipped to the second page and mentally noted each of the important points. _The water system has been turned off...water rations will be handed out in the early morning...amounts will vary from family to family...minimal water supply will result in a minimal amount of crops...food rations will be handed out on certain days...certain establishments such as diners and bars may be shut down at any time to ensure that everybody receives no more than their ration..._

'Shakky!' Nami suddenly realised. She liked the woman and found herself hoping that her business could survive. She flipped to the next relevant section: Farming.

_Only a set amount of crops will be permitted to be grown...to ensure that no farmer exceeds their water limit in this area, any extra crops that they have already grown are to be destroyed..._

"Bellmere's tangerine groves!" she suddenly shouted, and her sister glanced up at her. "Have you read the section on farming? Quick!" Nami urged Nojiko. The older tangerine tender skimmed the document and her eyes widened. "They're going to destroy Bellmere's tangerine groves! They can't! I won't let them."

"Don't fight against them," Nojiko warned, although she could feel her own stomach twisting. Nami looked wild-eyed, but before anything could be said further, there was a loud knock on the front door. Nami shot to her feet and flung open the door, gasping when she saw two supervisors, both of whom she recognised; Miss Merry Christmas and Mr 4. Behind them stood three young men, all of them strangers, each clutching a chainsaw.

"I hope that you've read that booklet," Miss Merry Christmas said, her eyes glinting.

"Please don't destroy our mother's tangerine groves," Nami pleaded. "They were so special to Bellmere."

"Bellmere isn't here," the female supervisor snapped. She turned to face the other way and shrieked, "Get going!" Nodding, the men with chainsaws began to make a move towards the side of the house.

"No!" Nami shrieked. "I won't let you!"

Her sister called out for her to stop. Barely hearing her, Nami began shaking her head wildly and ran towards the offenders, her eyes desperate. Miss Merry Christmas grabbed the tangerine tender by the back of her blouse and shouted, "Stop being so foolish!" Nami twisted her body desperately and swung her hand forward, balling it into a fist as she did so. It hit the supervisor's face with a sickening crack. Suddenly the female supervisor dropped her, where she tumbled ungracefully onto the dry grass.

"You hit me! You all saw that; she hit me!" Miss Merry Christmas screeched. "To the Sermon House with you; you'll be lucky if you don't get thrown out like the _rebel_ you are!"

"No, don't, please," Nojiko pleaded. "She was just upset; she didn't mean it."

Nami had gone pale, and was now silent and unmoving, her glassy-eyed stare fixed on Miss Merry Christmas.

"Pick her up," the female supervisor ordered Mr 4, who slowly made his way towards Nami.

"I know that violence won't be tolerated; she might be suffering heatstroke, please...don't take her away!" Nojiko said imploringly. But Miss Merry Christmas shook her head and pointed towards the workers who were rooted to the spot, their chainsaws in their hands.

"Get going!" she barked, and they nodded. The chainsaws noisily came to life. Nami was slung over Mr 4's shoulder. Her eyes closed as she quietly passed out.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters.**

**Well, it's been a long time. But now that I've actually made a general plan for this story, hopefully I'll be updating more regularly.  
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**I'm a little worried about whether or not I've made the characters too OOC. It may be an AU, but I don't want to completely wreck their characters. I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know what you think of this story.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 4:<br>**

Nojiko sat on a chair with her head in her hands; through the cracks between her fingers she could see what was left of Bellmere's tangerine fields. Never had she imagined that they would destroy so much; how could the entire town ration the fruits? They couldn't have been the only victims. A sense of dread nearly sent her into tears as the true intensity of the drought's effect hit her like a freight train. And then there was Nami...

'Oh, Nami.'

There was no way that she could have stopped them. But what had gotten into her sister? A lump rose in Nojiko's throat but she refused to cry. Instead, she rose and made her way into the house, determined to finish what the two sisters' had begun.

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><p>A low murmur of voices rose Nami from her slumber.<p>

"She's just like any of those pathetic sheep! Don't even bother trying to explain it to her because she won't believe you," an unknown voice said harshly.

"I know her, Kidd. I'm sure that she's intelligent enough to understand-" Was that Ace?

"I think she's waking up. Hey, Nami..."

Luffy?

Nami sat up, feeling groggy. Upon looking around, immense relief flooded through her; Ace and Luffy were here. But the redhead that was glaring at her with a startling ferocity...Nami hoped that whoever he was, he didn't have sharp enough eyes that could see her shivering. She averted her eyes and looked at Ace and his brother, both of whom were immediately at her side and checking her over, for reason Nami could not deduce. She blinked and took a moment to decipher her surroundings.

She must have been in the Sermon House. That was where they had said she would be taken, wasn't it?

But if this was really the Sermon House...the interior did not match the exterior. Nami could picture the grand building with ease in her mind's eye; she had never been in the area for too long but the image would be forever burned into her memory. The few times that she saw it, the grandiose structure took her breath away. It was made of marble, three storey's high, with round glass windows each as clear as crystal. The flora too was glorious; surrounding the building was an abundant variety of plant life, from perfectly trimmed hedges to roses with vivid hues and majestic trees which towered over the straight path that led straight to the front doors. Somehow she could imagine the grand foyer. She was sure that she had been inside once, with her mother and her sister, when she was very little. It had been cold, she recalled, but it was truly magnificent with its crystal chandeliers and the spotless red carpet and the mahogany desk of the receptionist.

But this room, this room was dark, the sofa was lumpy and stained, and the carpet was grey with differently coloured patches. There was no chandelier overhead, only a flickering hanging light. The only similarity was that this room too was chilly.

Nami shivered.

"Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?" Ace asked her. His eyes roamed over her body with genuine concern but she scoffed at the idea. Supervisor's, engaging in violence? The irony of such a thing would hit her like a brick. No, she was not hurt.

"Of course they didn't hurt me. They're supervisor's, not barbarians-" Her breath hitched in her throat as she recalled why she was in here.

The redhead sneered at her openly. "You're pretty stupid."

Nami gaped in indignation. "Excuse me?" She could feel her temper sparking, as if all the stress of the past few days had built up and was ready to explode out of her like a violent volcano.

"What's a goody-two-shoes like you doing in here, anyway?" he challenged. There was a scoffing smirk on his face as his piercing gaze locked onto her.

"Kidd..." Warning lingered in Ace's tone although he too couldn't hide his curiosity.

Luffy sat down next to Nami and said, "We were all pretty surprised to see you. Was it some sort of a mistake?"

Nami gasped and couldn't bite back her comment. "It's no wonder you're in here, Luffy, blaspheming like that left and right." Then she remembered. His blasphemy was not the reason he was here. He had willingly admitted himself, if she remembered correctly. She bit her lip and refused to admit her spoken mistake.

Kidd laughed darkly again.

Nami narrowed her eyes as she said slowly, "Supervisor's don't make mistakes. _I_ was the one who made a mistake. A stupid, stupid mistake..." She looked away and tried to ignore the sickening feeling in her stomach. She was certainly far from perfect. She had never once pretended to be the flawless citizen that everyone in SunVille aspired to be but had always steered clear from the more serious crimes. So what had changed so drastically that she had done such a horrible act? Panic threatened to overwhelm her as she began to seriously contemplate the concept that she may be thrown out of SunVille and into the darkness, left to fend for herself. She would never see Nojiko again. She would never see any of them ever again.

And Bellmere...Bellmere would be so ashamed of her.

"So spill, little miss perfect," Kidd said mockingly. "Did you blaspheme? Did you squirt water in the face of one of the supervisor's? Did you..." He paused with mock horror, "_Swear_?"

Nami felt her face growing hotter by the second. She was a hypocrite. Her voice was soft as she said, "I struck Miss Merry Christmas."

Ace and Luffy's mouths dropped open. Even Kidd looked impressed.

"Well, well, well, I take it back. Guess we've got a _rebel_ on our hands-" Kidd was cut off by Nami's shriek of protest.

"Why don't you shut your mouth? Clearly you're so stupid whatever you did was no mistake. I bet you had malicious intent." The phrase was spoken almost robotically. Yes, mistakes were normal and easily forgiven once repented. But if you had 'malicious intent', your sins were deemed unforgiveable and expulsion was inevitable. Nami hoped that the supervisors would understand that her act was a terrible mistake, and nothing more. After all, separation from her sister would be unbearable, not to mention the dangers she would face Outside.

Kidd laughed openly at her. "Malicious intent? I didn't even hurt anyone. All I did was spray paint on a wall."

Nami stared at him, ignoring the obvious jab. "It was _you_? You defaced the_ Sermon House_? That's disgusting. The Sermon House is sacred."

"I had my reasons as I'm sure that you did. So tell us..." Kidd leaned in closer to her. "What did they do to warrant such a reaction?"

Nami froze. Suddenly the reason for her actions seemed ridiculous, inexcusable. Had she been in danger? No. Had Nojiko been in danger? No. Therefore, her immediate thoughts logically linked striking a supervisor as uncalled-for. She would be judged accordingly. Her only hope for salvation would surely be to beg and plead for forgiveness and accept any punishment short of expulsion.

Community Service. Imprisonment. A multitude of sermons. Each would be blessings in comparison.

"Nami?" Ace prodded gently. He and his brother were looking straight at her.

"I...I..." Nami ran a hand through her hair, for once at a loss for words. If she was incapable of even explaining her actions to the people around her, who were as guilty as she was, then what hope did she have of convincing the supervisor's that she was truly sorry for what she had done, that she would never ever commit such an atrocity again? She waited for the inevitable pounding of her heart, the trembling of her limbs as the possible extent of the consequences for her actions sunk in. But she felt _numb_. All terror had dissolved and she found herself furrowing her brow as she said while staring blankly ahead of her, "They were going to cut down Bellmere's tangerine groves."

The dumbfounded silence which immediately followed was not at all surprising to her.

Kidd was the first one to find his voice. "You risked everything for a couple of trees?" He threw back his head and began laughing. "See, you appear to be the most bizarre of all of us here. _I _used graffiti to warn all of the stupid sheep in this town. _Ace_ was arrested for breaking and entering and thievery, and _Luffy_ came to his senses- surprising as that was- and decided that he wasn't going to believe the lies that they've been spoon feeding us ever since we were born."

"You _stole_?" Nami stared at Ace who shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I stole."

"_Why_?" she demanded.

His gaze appeared to pierce through her as he said quietly, "I needed the papers to prove what's going on."

The numbness had left, and all that remained was a tingly feeling as she asked, "What's going on?"

Kidd rolled his eyes and huffed, "You fixate on one petty little crime but you don't bother to ask what I was warning people about?"

"Doesn't matter; they're linked," Ace said carelessly with a wave of his hand. "Listen, Nami, you need to listen to me. You're a smart girl; surely you'll understand that what I'm talking about is the truth, or at the very least a possibility. Please don't immediately discount it." He looked at the redheaded girl imploringly.

Nami chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. In one way, she was horrified to hear of Ace's actions. But all the same...He was like a brother to her; she had known him since she was a small child, through Luffy. He had taught her. He had been the one who reigned in his brother when Luffy got to be too much for anyone to handle. He had bought her flowers to place on her mother's grave when she had dropped hers.

And every now and again, he would sometimes offer a rare gem of a smile, not a smirk or a wide grin, but a gentle smile which appeared usually when he was watching his brother.

Surely he couldn't be evil.

Looking up at him, Nami tried to speak as casually as possible. "I'll hear you out."

"You won't like it," Kidd said shortly. "And I bet you won't believe it either."

"But Nami knows that we wouldn't lie to her," Luffy cut in, smiling at her.

Nami shot Kidd a smirk. "Well, you I might not believe. I don't know you and I wouldn't be one bit surprised to discover that you're just a rebel."

Ace sat down beside her. The worry was clearly evident in his eyes as he said, "This is going to be difficult to hear."

"Why don't you just get on with it?" Nami sighed.

He remained silent for a few moments. Every now and again he would open his mouth as if to speak, and then after looking at her, close it and look away. After some time of this, Nami rolled her eyes and gestured for him to hurry up. But before he could speak, Kidd interrupted.

"In a nutshell, the truth is exactly what I wrote on the wall. SunVille has been feeding us all lies, and too many people like you just accept it without thinking for themselves-" Kidd was cut off by Nami's outraged voice.

"How dare you! Not only are you making a ridiculous accusation but you insinuate that I'm like a sheep who can't think for herself. Why don't you elaborate and back up these claims?" She locked eyes with Kidd.

He looked ready to reply sharply but was interrupted by Ace who said, "You have to keep in mind that we can't physically show you the proof because it's been confiscated. And we may never get a hold of it again; for all we know, they may have destroyed the evidence by now."

"So..." Nami shrugged. "How are you going to prove it? 'It' being whatever it is you believe."

Ace raked a hand through his dark hair. "We believe-"

"We know," Kidd cut in, smirking again.

Ace shot him a look. "We have become aware of certain...inconsistencies...in SunVille's teachings." Before Nami could question him further he added, "And some...incidents which have happened that are suspicious and even worse...evil."

Nami pursed her lips. "Evil? You mean people in SunVille, or things that are linked to the Outside?"

"There is nothing wrong with the Outside, Nami," Ace said quietly. "It's SunVille which is dangerous."

"What?" Nami exploded. "Are you serious? SunVille has protected us all and-"

"Blind as a bat," Kidd scoffed, waving an arm in apparent dismissal.

Nami inhaled sharply in an attempt to push down her rising anger, folded her arms across her chest and questioned, "Do you know how I know that what you're saying is completely off base?" Without waiting for a reply she charged on. "One, I have never heard anyone else make such preposterous claims. Two, I cannot think of anything that terrible which has happened in SunVille. Three, if what you're saying is true, then telling me in the Sermon House would be a totally idiotic thing to do. I'm sure that there are cameras in here, just like around the streets."

"I busted the camera in here," Kidd said casually. "You're right; of course the supervisor's would want to keep an eye on the few people who make their way into this place. But when I was first taken here, I broke the security camera." Seeing Nami's eyes flash, he added, "And it was the only one, since they said it was and were so freaked out because I'd ruined their chance at spying on us until they can fix it, which they haven't yet."

"Fine, but-"

"Also, nothing so terrible is _spoken of _in SunVille; they sweep it under the carpet, mostly because it's to do with people finding out the truth," Kidd continued.

"Yes, but-"

"...Which brings me to my final point; nobody has ever said anything to you because they're either too cowardly to admit that they know the truth or they get found out and disposed of." Kidd raised an eyebrow. "Any further flimsy arguments?"

Nami pushed aside his obvious jab at her debating skills and instead fixated on his argument. "Define 'disposed of'."

Kidd openly jeered at her. "Wasn't it obvious that I was sugar-coating the truth with a euphemism?"

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid," Nami said sharply. "I need you to say it out loud. If you're really going to make such a serious claim, then surely you can say it easily out loud, with no sugar-coating." Her eyes defied him.

Kidd rolled his eyes. "Fine. Anyone who finds out, or is suspected to have found out, the truth, is immediately killed." The accusatory statement slipped out of his mouth with ease and he looked pointedly at the redheaded girl who flinched slightly but looked unconvinced.

"And why is nobody noticing this string of murders?" Nami argued.

"It doesn't happen all that often, for one. And for another, they usually make it look like an accident. I must admit, I'm a little surprised that you haven't considered this." Kidd locked eyes with Nami as he said brazenly, "After all, you're extremely well acquainted with these accidents."

Suddenly Ace leapt to his feet. "Wait a minute, Kidd. I think that's enough information for one day-"

"What are you talking about?" Nami ignored Ace and focused on Kidd. "It's not as if they've murdered, or tried to murder, me, or Nojiko."

"Not you-" Kidd was interrupted by Ace and Luffy.

"Stop!" both brothers said simultaneously.

"_What_ are you talking about?" Nami's voice had risen in volume. Her stomach began to twist as a terrible thought which had occurred to her many years ago rose to the surface from where she had long since pushed it away. _Oh no...He can't mean..._

"Didn't you ever think it was odd...your mother's _accident_?" Kidd rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest as he did so.

Nami felt as if an icy fist was squeezing around her chest, constricting her breathing. "Why do you say it like that?" She stood up and looked up into Kidd's dark eyes. Her heart sank as she waited for his inevitable claim, bracing herself for the incoming blow.

"Because it was no accident, of course."

Kidd's words shot her like an arrow to her heart. Nami found herself sinking back down into the sofa, feeling sick to her stomach. Ace and Luffy were at her side in an instant, holding her, asking if she was okay. At any other moment of her life she would have waved away their concerns and pushed out the shock and hurt and horror. At any other time she would repress her feelings. After all, she had not needed their help- she had not needed anyone's help- before. When she mourned her mother, she did it alone. Why should now be any different? And yet the words which would normally slip out refused to come. _I'm fine_, she would insist, punctuating her argument with a bright smile.

But she wasn't fine.

A cold chill skated up and down her spine and she didn't say anything for a few moments, instead allowing Ace and Luffy to hold her as she concentrated on breathing, rocking back and forth slowly.

"Oh, now it's personal, right?" Kidd said, openly ignoring her distress as he straightened up and moved as if to walk away.

Nami suddenly found her voice, soft and emotionless though it sounded to her ears.

"You liar." Her tone was flat.

Kidd turned around.

"Liar." Her voice was stronger now.

Kidd opened his mouth to speak again.

"_Liar_!" she screeched, pushing away Ace and Luffy as she rose unsteadily and moved towards Kidd. "You're all liars! How can you believe this? My mother died because of a tragic accident. Why would they want to kill her? You don't have any proof, so shut up! Just shut up!"

Ace and Luffy held her back as she tried desperately to get at Kidd.

He only shook his head and smiled wryly as he commented, "I told you she wouldn't believe it."

When he left the small living room to enter the dormitory, Nami allowed herself to be led back to the sofa. Clinging to both Ace and Luffy, she began to cry.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Been a little while, sorry. I wrote most of this chapter and then got a little stuck. I'm hoping the next chapters will get a little easier to write. Well, please feel free to let me know what you think in a review.  
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><p>A piercing scream shattered the otherwise peaceful morning and Nojiko bolted upright in bed, her heart hammering against her ribcage. Throwing aside the thin sheet which had tangled around her as she tossed fitfully in her sleep, she leapt out of bed and ran immediately for her bedroom window. In the near distance she could make out a group of people, each attempting to restrain someone who appeared to be struggling violently as they verbally protested against their captors.<p>

"You can't do this!"

Nojiko rubbed her tired eyes and strained her ears. The voice sounded oddly familiar, although she suspected that whoever it was wasn't close to her. Perhaps Nojiko had served her at the market before?

"They've got Dance Powder!"

Dance Powder?

Suddenly the screaming ceased, and the group seemed to huddle around one another, obscuring Nojiko's view of the scene. When one of them moved slightly to the right, Nojiko watched as another knelt down and picked up someone unrecognisable from the distance. Just as they turned the corner of her street she was suddenly aware of a flash of blue. Now just who did she know that had blue hair? But try as she might, Nojiko could not remember, and once they had disappeared from her sight she turned slowly around, debating whether or not to go back to bed. She had had a sleepless night, tossing and turning over and over as her thoughts ran in circles. Her sister's face and name kept appearing to her, like a broken record, and Nojiko had been inconsolable, thankful that no one had been around to witness her breakdown. She had no idea what was happening to her sister and she had no idea what was going to happen. And witnessing such a scene as she had just viewed, she was not comforted. Instead, a dark cloud seemed to hang over both herself and the town.

Try as she might, Nojiko could not shake the feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong. The perfect facade which SunVille had retained seemed to vanish like the morning mist over the past few days. Never before had the utopia felt so dangerous.

'Stop torturing yourself, like this,' she scolded herself. 'The supervisor's will let you know what's going to happen to Nami.' But all that she could think about was a cold building and her sister's terrified face...What was happening? Was Nami listening? Would she even be permitted to stay in SunVille? Nojiko had already lost Bellmere; to lose Nami, and be completely alone, would destroy her. Already, just thinking about such a thing caused unwanted tears to spring to her eyes and she felt suddenly weak, both physically as her knees threatened to give out on her, and emotionally as she desperately wished for someone else to be the older one, someone who would make everything okay again...

A soft knock on the door snapped Nojiko out of her thoughts, and she hurried out of her bedroom, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't dwell on the fact that she was still in her pyjamas.

"Shakky!"

The older woman offered Nojiko a smile as she expressed her condolences. "I'm sure that it was all a terrible misunderstanding. Nami is a good girl. She'll be okay."

"Please come in, Shakky. May I get you anything?"

Nojiko led Shakky to a chair in the living room when Shakky politely declined anything.

"Nami and I were going to visit your bar again."

"That would have been nice," Shakky said ruefully. "Unfortunately, it was closed down late yesterday. I still have a few things to sort out but what with this drought and these newly enforced rations, I'm afraid that I'll be provided with a new job shortly. The supervisor's said that a bar was nothing more than wasteful entertainment in such a time as this."

Nojiko's mouth dropped open and she openly gaped at Shakky, unable to piece together and articulate her thoughts. Eventually, all that she could say was, "I'm so sorry to hear that." Hesitating momentarily, she added, "Is there anything...are you going to..."

"I'll be fine. I'll get over it." Shakky smiled. "Perhaps we both need something to get our minds off of things..."

Nojiko brightened somewhat. "Nami and I were going to go through Bellmere's things. I know that its been years, but somehow we just never took the the time to...I guess we wanted to know what she might have thought. I mean, things have been sort of...strange lately, haven't they?"

"That they have," Shakky agreed. "The graffiti, Ace, Luffy, Nami..."

"And there was another one too, this morning. It was a girl I didn't recognise, with blue hair."

"Blue hair?"

"Yeah. She was screaming something about Dance Powder and the voice sounded oddly familiar but I couldn't place it-"

"Did you say Dance Powder?" Shakky interrupted, furrowing her brow.

Nojiko blinked. "Yes. Do you know what it is?"

"Hmm, it rings a bell. But...I don't know. I wonder if the library has anything on it?"

Nojiko perked up. "I don't have to open the store today. New laws and everything. Want to do some investigating?"

"Sounds like fun. Let's go."

* * *

><p>SunVille library was one of the smallest buildings in town. There was desk with a librarian who signed books in and out, and a tiny area for restrooms which held a single toilet cubicle for both males and females. There weren't many shelves, and none of them were stacked to the brim with books. After all, how many authors could there be in one town? The supervisors permitted only certain books from the Outside, and they were each factual. Non-fiction took up the majority of space, on topics which were rarely checked out unless they were for school reports, such as agriculture or electricity. The only other books were written by the supervisors, and some included laws, whereas others were philosophical texts which detailed how life in SunVille was so completely superior to that of the rest of the world, and what life would be like everywhere else.<p>

As a result, the library was empty, and although there was less heat than in crowded places, it was still humid and sticky. The librarian was slouching, fanning herself with a paper fan. Her pigtails were sticking to her head and she barely moved when Nojiko and Shakky entered the library although her large eyes swivelled in their sockets in their direction.

"I'll search the computer database," Shakky offered.

"I'll ask the librarian," Nojiko decided, and the two parted ways. "Excuse me." The librarian looked at Nojiko with a vacant expression. "My friend and I were wondering if there are any books on something called Dance Powder?"

"Dance Powder?" The librarian suddenly sat up straight and stopped fanning herself, something sparking in her eyes.

"Yes, Dance Powder."

"I'm sorry. I don't believe that we have any books on that topic."

"Oh." Nojiko was about to find Shakky, when she stopped and hopefully asked, "Do you know what it is?"

The librarian paused. "Um...No. I don't think that I have ever heard of such a thing. Where did you hear of this 'Dance Powder'?"

Nojiko felt suddenly uneasy. The librarian was looking straight at her, almost accusingly. Feeling like a naughty child who was about to be scolded, she said vaguely, "I just heard it. I don't know who said it."

"But you and your friend would like to know what it is?"

"Yes. But no worries, we'll just be going-"

"If you'll just give me your names, I'll do some research on it for you and inform you about it later."

She hesitated. "Well, you don't have to trouble yourself."

"What are your names? It is no trouble." The pigtailed librarian picked up a pen and held it, poised above an exercise book.

"You know what, I might have misheard it. Thanks anyway, but I don't need-"

"What are your names? I would like to help you anyway."

Nojiko protested, insisting that she didn't want her to trouble herself, but the librarian insisted, and finally, she spelled out both her name, and Shakky's name, although she was unable to shake the feeling that she had done something very wrong. Had she unwittingly stumbled across something taboo? Smiling uneasily, she thanked the librarian and walked away. When she found Shakky and told her what had happened, the two walked out of the library, passing the librarian who was using a Den Den Mushi, fanning herself again.

The two sat down on a nearby bench, under the shade of a tree.

"Well, that was pointless. It's so strange. That librarian looked at me so intently that I didn't want to give her our names. I felt almost _guilty_."

Shakky looked pensive, and for a moment didn't speak. When she finally opened her mouth, she suddenly tensed and looked around her, sniffing the air. "Do you smell smoke?"

Nojiko tilted her head in confusion and sniffed the air. Within a few seconds she leapt to her feet and exclaimed, "I think you're right. It's smoke. And it's coming from the library!"

The two leapt up and dashed back into the library where already they could see a haze of smoke. The temperature felt as if it had risen several degrees. Nojiko covered her mouth and nose with her hand and scanned the area frantically. There was nobody else around. The librarian's desk was empty; cleaned out of all of the papers and the pigtailed woman was nowhere to be seen. The Den Den Mushi too was gone, and Nojiko's brain whirred into gear as her thoughts screamed the impossible. The library's opening hours had not changed recently, so the librarian ought not to have picked up her things and left so early. Surely in the case of a fire one would not take the time to gather their belongings; they had always been taught to get out of the danger area as quickly as possible. Just as Nojiko was attempting to comprehend this, a screeching alarm sounded, and water dripped onto her head. Upon looking up, she realised that the overhead sprinklers had kicked into gear. Shakky reached for Nojiko's arm and began to lead her out of the library.

When they were safely back outside, there was no time to breathe a sigh of relief for rough hands suddenly grabbed them and the two were suddenly locking eyes with two supervisors whose expressions were thunderous as they towered over the two.

"It was you two, wasn't it?" one of them spat accusingly.

"No!" Nojiko tried to protest.

Fire-fighters ran inside the library while Shakky and Nojiko were steered away from the scene. Over the raucous racket, Nojiko tried in vain to explain their innocence. They would never deliberately vandalise SunVille, especially not in a way which had the potential to take innocent lives.

"I know you. You're Nojiko, Nami's sister. Your sister was recently arrested for assault, right?" He was openly sneering at her. "I guess rebellion runs in the family. Hopefully the two of you will be cast out, forever."

"That was a terrible mistake! Nami was in shock and not in her right mind. She's a good person." Nojiko felt her fingers curling into fists as she defended her sister. "We're _both _good people who deserve a place in this town. I am not an arsonist, and neither is Shakky! Besides, you can't arrest us without providing proof of our alleged crime."

The other supervisor nodded jerkily in Shakky's direction. The older woman was appraising the situation coolly. "You seriously think that we believe that you two didn't do it? Who else could it have been? The librarian said you two were the only ones to even go near the area all day. Besides..." He leaned in closer to Nojiko. "You think we don't know all about your no good mother? Like mother, like daughter. You did it. So fess up."

Nojiko inhaled sharply, feeling as if she had been dealt a blow in the stomach. Anger stirred inside her, and she felt like a raging volcano, about to erupt. Not only was he insulting Nami, but he was making a jab at Bellmere. "How dare you speak about my mother that way! She was a good person, as is my sister, as am I, and as is Shakky! You-"

He tightened his hold on her arm and gave it a sharp twist. A shocked shriek escaped from Nojiko's lips.

"Shut up! Be like your accomplice over there and keep quiet! We know that you did it-"

"They didn't start the fire. I did," a cool voice cut in.

The four craned their necks to see a smiling, redheaded man.

"What?" both supervisor's openly gaped at his audacious confession.

"You heard me. The fire was my doing. It was an accident, but it was my fault. Leave these two alone."

"B-But, you weren't even in the area," one of the supervisor's stuttered weakly.

"So the librarian didn't notice me. It's easily doable. Let the ladies go, and question me." The redhead stared intensely at the two supervisors' who looked as if they were inwardly wrestling with this concept. Finally, one of them turned grudgingly to Nojiko, letting go of her arm, and announced that she and Shakky were free to go. Unable to keep from shooting another heated glare their way, Nojiko left with Shakky.

The two walked in silence back to Nojiko's house. It wasn't until Nojiko inserted the key in the lock of the front door that she suddenly exploded.

"I cannot believe that he would treat us so badly! And making those jabs at Nami and Bellmere was just a low blow."

Shakky clicked her tongue and shook her head. "How's your arm?"

"Doesn't hurt anymore. What was that, anyway? He gets on Nami's case and then _I'm_ the one being assaulted by a _supervisor_!" Nojiko huffed. Strange happenings in SunVille. She couldn't deny, however, that deep down she was beginning to wonder if her precious town's perfect facade had cracked, revealing the beginnings of an ugly mess. The old Nojiko tried to rationalise it by remembering that the supervisor's were always right. But as much as she longed for everything to go back to normal, whatever that was, she had the distinct feeling that a change was coming, and whether or not she and the other citizens of SunVille would like that change, could not be anticipated.

Trying to push her fears aside, Nojiko looked at Shakky. "Shakky? Will you help me go through my mother's things?"

"Of course. I would love to." Shakky offered Nojiko a smile.

Nojiko led her away and into Bellmere's room. Taking a deep breath, they each pulled up a box.

* * *

><p>When the tears had finally dried up, Ace had had to physically restrain Nami from tackling Kidd, who looked nothing more than amused at her outbursts. She had only quietened down and stopped threatening bodily harm on the redhead's person when he had reminded her that it was 'wrong' to do so, if she was as good a citizen as she claimed to be. So instead, she glared daggers at Kidd for awhile and ignored both Ace and Luffy, insisting that she didn't want to hear another blasphemous word out of their mouths.<p>

An uncomfortable silence ensued.

Until the door opened and a tearful blue-haired girl was tossed inside before the door was slammed shut again.

Nami's mouth dropped open a little. "Vivi?"

The newest addition to the Sermon House nodded and smiled ruefully. "They got you too? SunVille has just been full of surprises lately."


End file.
